Language Day helps students to connect

Published date29 May 2023
AuthorPeter de Graaf
Publication titleNorthern Advocate, The (Whangarei, New Zealand)
That’s how 17-year-old Northlander Naomi Ngawati sums up the Language Days she’s been attending since she was a child

Organised by Ko Taku Reo Deaf Education NZ, the fortnightly events bring together deaf and hard-of-hearing students from every corner of Northland for a day of camaraderie, learning and immersion in deaf culture.

Some of the children have no one else in their class at school who’s deaf or wears a hearing aid, but during Language Day everyone’s in the same boat. Communication is by a rich medley of English, te reo Māori, New Zealand Sign Language and lip reading.

Naomi, who lives in Moerewa and is in Year13 at Bay of Islands College, said she lost her hearing when she was “really little” and had used sign language since kindergarten.

She had a hearing aid but it was hard to hear above the noise at school so she’d learned to lip-read as well.

She enjoyed the mix of languages at the fortnightly get-togethers and being surrounded by other people who used sign language.

For that one day a fortnight she didn’t have to try to be “normal”.

“Here I can be myself because everyone is in the same situation. It has helped me to build my confidence. It’s also helped me to be more talkative and not be uncomfortable around other people.”

When the Advocate called in to Language Day earlier this week, more than 20 students, of all ages and from as far away as Awanui and Ruakakā, had descended on Moerewa School.

They were joined by teachers and helpers, some also deaf, and a sign language interpreter.

The day started with a karakia in New Zealand Sign Language and a waiata, also in sign, led by the older students.

They were then divided up with one group making rice bubble slices and another...

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